Recycle Center Sculpture Approved

The Fayetteville Arts council approved plans for a recycling tree sculpture to be built next to the Marion Orton Recycling Center at 735 W North St., Wednesday, July 16.

With the plan approved, once a contract is ready the plans are projected to be brought for approval by the city council at their Aug. 17 meeting. If approved, the tree will be installed on the East side of the recycling center next to the Scull Creek trail, facing North Street.

The sculpture was approved out of nine artists’ submissions by a Fayetteville Recycling and Trash committee.

The sculpture, designed by John Stalling — a blacksmith artist in Eureka Springs, Ark. — will stand 20 feet tall and 14 feet wide. The tree will consist of recycled aluminum cans to represent tree bark, and the recycling symbol will be stainless steel. The idea behind the sculpture is to emphasize the connectedness of recycling and nature, according to Stalling’s proposal.

The branches will feature aluminum cans as “leaves” and “berries” will be made out of reflectors.